A cobpobation



v1. G. R. OHARA.

1111111111115.` APPLICATION FILED AUG; I`5,A9l7.

A111116111911 my 1, 1919.

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ol 111W IIL-Ill i ture wherein the film may be run back-V UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

JOSEPH G. R. OHARA, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO EDUCATIONAL MOTION PICTURE MACHINE AND FILM COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

FILM-GUIDE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1, 1919.

Original application filed September 18, 1916, Serial No. 120,731. Divided and this application filed August To all whom 'it Imay conce/rn:

Be it known that I, JosErH G. R. OHARA, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Film-Guides, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others, skilled in the art to-which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to. the moving picture art and particularly to a form of filmhandling apparatus for projecting machines of the type illust-rated in my copending application, Serial No. 120,731, filed September 18, 1916,01: which this application is a division. In the parent application, I have illustrated and described a motion picture projecting machine which is designe-d with the purpose of rendering the use thereof entirely safe with respect to ignition of the film from the light source, to render the apparatus particularly light, simple and strong so as to contribute to its portability and facility of use and to adapt it to certain special conditions of platform and demonstration work wherein it may be desired to stop the film for projection of a particular view for an indefinite period of time, or to run the film backward through the machine so as to review a portion thereof.

The subject-matter of the present applica.- tion eomprehends the mechanism for handling and guiding the film at the exposure aperture.

It has for its objects the provision of an extremely simple and positive film-handling and guiding mechanism having the fewest number of parts and capable of manufacture at a minimum cost.

In this connection, it is my purpose to form the apparatus to the greatest possible extent of die stampings, which arangement contributes to the cheapness of manufacture, and to the strength and stability ,of the structure.

It is also my purpose to provide a struc- Wardly through the machine without requiring ,any adjustment of the guiding portions.

Other and further objects wil vbe obuious Serial No. 186,377.

or pointed out hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 ,is a perspective view illustrating the film-guiding mechanism; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the film-guiding plate;

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the same substantially on line 5-5 lof Fig. 2;

Fig. -1 isa rear elevation of the presser track bars; y

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.

Referring `to these illustrations in detail by the reference numeralsapplied, let it be understood that 10 designates a portion ,of the fra-me of the projecting machine, which frame may be of the general type illustrated in my opending application above referred to. This frame -is provided with suitable bearing portions 31 in which are operably mounted. film-actuating rdrums or sprocketsI 8T, the' same being arranged for cooperation with the film by the provision of teeth 8T which engage the Afilm in the customary and conventional fashion. A suitable actuating mechanisn'i, which maybe of the form illustrated in the copending application above referred to, is employed to give' the proper movement to the drums 87 to feed the film.

The film is arranged for support upon suitable reels, which may beof the conventional form, or as illustrated in my copending application above referred to. Mounted on the frame l0 intermediate the film-handling reels is a tracker plate or film-guiding plate 50. This plate is punched and pressed into suitableA form to provide a view aperture` 51 with a film track Amember 52 at each side thereof. These track members are ontset somewhat beyond the plane of the portions of the plate intermediate them, and their lateral extremities are defined by guiding shoulders 54 formed by portions of the plate which are set out beyond the plane of the track members, said guiding shoulders being spaced apart a distance such as to just accommodate the width of the film. Ears 55 are struck out rearwardly from a lateral portion of the tracker plate to provide mountings for the presser gate.

The presser gate includes a rigid carrier 56 which is hinged on the ears 55. ,This carrier has a central View aperture which registers in rear with the aperture 51 ,of the tracker plate when the gate is in clamping position, and said carrier provides a support and mounting for pressure sprin 57, one of which is mounted at each side o the aperture. These springs are shaped so that their extremities extend forwardly some distance from the carrier 56, and'bear against pressure bars`58, one mounted at each side of the gate aperture. The mounting of the pressure bars upon the gate is by means of screws 53 seated4 in the transverse members 59 which are integral with the bars 58, the

said screwsv fitting slidably in holes in the with the curved faces of the drum. .The pressure bars 58, as above stated and illus-` trated in Fig. 4, are integrally'connected by transverse members 59' which are displaced rearwardly from the plane of the front or bearing surfaces of the bars, as best seen in Fig. 5. A latch 60 is mounted on the tracker plate on the side of the view aperture opposite to the ears 55, and is so cooperate with the carrier -56 to hold the gate closed and the springs 57 slightly flexed so as to exert a constant spring d l o tiem upon the pressure bars 58 to against the film.

It will be readily observed that this apparatus is characterized by extreme simplicity and strength of construction, and that, as it has noA parts requiring nice adjustments in order todo accurate Work, it may be easily and safel operated by 'comparatively inexperience persons. Moreover, the construction as claimed hereinafter, forms an effective film-handling mechanism comisposed as to posed of the fewest and simplest parts, and which may be manufactured and assembled at a minimum cost. l

The construction also is such as to permit the runningr of the film past the View aperture in either direction, to guide and hold the same positively and accurately so as to prevent mutilation and scratching thereof, to afford the film the greatest possible protection from mechanical injury, and to per- `mit the rapid and facile insertion and removal of the film.

I am aware that the device illustrated and described, although what at present I believe the best form in which the invention may be embodied, is susceptible of various chan s, alterations and modifications not speci cally referred to' or disclosed, but comprehended nevertheless Within the spirit of the invention andthe scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is: l

In a motion picture machine, a tracker plate provided with a view aperture, portions of said plate to the sides of said apertures being compressed with respect to the face of the plate to form continuous parallel film tracks, a presser gate hinged to said plate to one side of said opening and film tracks, said presser gate being provided with an opening which coincides with the view aperture in the tracker plate, pressure bars .positioned beneath the side portions of the presser te and adapted to engage the edges o the film positioned on the film tracks, cross 'bars connecting said pressure bars, screws loosely positioned 1n said presser gate and seated in said cross bars, and flat springs interposed between the ides of the presser gate and the` pressure ars. n

In testimon whereof I hereunto affix my signature in t e .presence of a witness, this 16th day of August, 1917.

J. G. R. oHARA.

Witness M. P. SMrrH. 

